System and method for transferring power to intrabody instruments

ABSTRACT

A system and method for transferring power includes a power transmitting unit for transmitting power and a power receiving unit for receiving power from the power transmitting unit. The power transmitting unit may be positioned outside a human body and the power receiving unit is located on an intrabody instrument adapted to be movable from the outside of the human body to inside the human body. The intrabody instrument may be a medical instrument connected to or incorporated within a robotic arm. The power transmitting unit may wirelessly transfer power to the power receiving unit in a continuous, non-interrupted manner.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/594,855, filed on May 15, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/803,482, filed on Jul. 20, 2015, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,654,183, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/024,503, filed on Feb. 10, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.9,107,684, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/310,786, filed on Mar. 5, 2010, the entire contentsof each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a surgical robotic instrument forperforming surgery of the minimally invasive type on a human body to beoperated upon and, more particularly, to a system and method fortransferring power to the surgical robotic instrument.

Background of Related Art

Minimally invasive surgical procedures typically employ small incisionsin body cavities for access of various surgical instruments, includingforceps, laparoscopes, scalpels, scissors, and the like. It is often thecase that several surgical hands, such as several laparoscopicinstrument and camera holders, are necessary to hold these instrumentsfor the operating surgeon during the particular surgical procedure. Withthe introduction of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS) inrecent years, hospitals worldwide have made significant investments inacquiring this latest technology for their respective facilities.

Thus, it is known to use MIS when carrying out surgical operations. Whensurgery of this kind is performed, access to a subcutaneous surgicalsite is provided via a number (typically 3 to 5) of small (typically5-12 mm) incisions, through which a surgical arm is manually passed. Thesurgical arms are then coupled to the surgical robotic instrument, whichis capable of manipulating the surgical arms for performing the surgicaloperations, such as suturing or thermally cutting through tissue andcauterizing blood vessels that have been cut through. The surgical armsthus extend through the incisions during the surgery, one of whichincisions is used for supplying a gas, in particular carbon dioxide, forinsufflating the subcutaneous area and thus create free space at thatlocation for manipulating the surgical instruments.

Open surgeries often require a surgeon to make sizable incisions to apatient's body in order to have adequate visual and physical access tothe site requiring treatment. The application of laparoscopy forperforming procedures is commonplace. Laparoscopic surgeries areperformed using small incisions in the abdominal wall and inserting asmall endoscope into the abdominal cavity and transmitting the imagescaptured by the endoscope onto a visual display. The surgeon may thussee the abdominal cavity without making a sizable incision in thepatient's body, reducing invasiveness and providing patients with thebenefits of reduced trauma, shortened recovery times, and improvedcosmetic results. In addition to the endoscope, laparoscopic surgeriesare performed using long, rigid tools inserted through incisions in theabdominal wall.

However, conventional techniques and tools for performing laparoscopicprocedures may limit the dexterity and vision of the surgeon. Given thesize of the incisions, the maneuverability of the tools is limited andadditional incisions may be required if an auxiliary view of thesurgical site is needed. Thus, robotic instruments may be used toperform laparoscopic procedures. However, conventional roboticinstruments are not continuously connected to external power sources forreceiving a steady stream of power.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, a power transfer system isprovided. The system includes a power transmitting unit for transmittingpower and a power receiving unit for receiving power from the powertransmitting unit. The power transmitting unit is positioned outside ahuman body and the power receiving unit is located on an intrabodyinstrument adapted to be movable from the outside of the human body toinside the human body.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a power transfer system isprovided. The system includes a power transmitting unit for transmittingpower and a power receiving unit for receiving power from the powertransmitting unit. The power transmitting unit is positioned outside ahuman body and the power receiving unit is located on an intrabodyinstrument adapted to be movable from the outside of the human body toinside the human body.

In one embodiment, the power transmitting unit is connected to an energysource and the intrabody instrument includes at least an energy storageunit and one or more electronic components.

In yet another embodiment, the intrabody instrument is a medicalinstrument used in surgical procedures and in another embodiment theintrabody instrument is a robotic arm.

In still another embodiment, the power transmitting unit wirelesslytransfers power to the power receiving unit in a continuous,non-interrupted manner. The power may be wirelessly transferred by usinginductive coupling power transfer methodologies or the power may bewirelessly transferred by using radio frequency (RF) power transfermethodologies.

In another embodiment, if an energy source connected to the powertransmitting unit is disconnected, the power receiving unit isautomatically energized via an energy storage unit located within theintrabody instrument.

In yet another embodiment, the system further includes one or more datacommunications units for transferring data between the powertransmitting unit and the power receiving unit. Additionally, the systemfurther includes one or more data communications units for transferringdata to one or more external sources or external control units.

A method for transferring power is also provided in accordance with thepresent disclosure. The method includes providing a power transfersystem as described above. The method further includes transmittingpower via a power transmitting unit and receiving power from the powertransmitting unit via a power receiving unit. The power transmittingunit is positioned outside a human body and the power receiving unit islocated on an intrabody instrument adapted to be movable from theoutside of the human body to inside the human body.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a power transfer system isprovided for wirelessly, continuously, and non-interruptedlytransferring information. The system includes a transmitting unitconnected to an energy source, the transmitting unit configured totransmit the information and a receiving unit including an energystorage unit and one or more electronic components, the receiving unitconfigured to receive the information from the transmitting unit. Thetransmitting unit is positioned outside a human body and the receivingunit is operatively associated with a robotic arm adapted to be movablefrom the outside of the human body to one or more positions inside thehuman body during surgical procedures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the presently disclosed robotic instrument aredescribed hereinbelow with references to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a power transfer system, in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an information transfer system, inaccordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating power transfer between a transmittingunit and a receiving unit, in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A more particular description of the present disclosure, brieflysummarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments of thepresent disclosure described in the present specification andillustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, thatthe specification and appended drawings illustrate only certainembodiments of this present disclosure and are, therefore, not to beconsidered limiting of its scope. The present disclosure may admit toequally effective embodiments.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure. While the present disclosure will be described inconjunction with these embodiments, it is to be understood that thedescribed embodiments are not intended to limit the present disclosuresolely and specifically to only those embodiments. On the contrary, thepresent disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, andequivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure as defined by the attached claims.

It has been found that in some cases, if not in most cases, performingMIS procedures by means of a surgical robotic instrument has advantagesin comparison with manually performed MIS. Such a surgical roboticinstrument may comprise a so-called master, which may be controlled by asurgeon, and a so-called slave, being the surgical robotic instrumentthat performs the surgery in response to commands from the master, witha control system providing the required connection between the masterand the slave. The slave robotic instrument may comprise surgical arms,each configured as a long narrow bar, at the distal end of which a smallinstrument may be provided, which instrument, just like the associatedsurgical arm, may be manipulated and controlled from the master. Suchinstruments may consist of, for example, thermal cutters, scissors,suturing tools, but also of an endoscope, by means of which the surgicalsite may be shown to the surgeon at the location of the master.

Furthermore, in robotically-assisted or telerobotic surgery, the surgeontypically operates a master controller to remotely control the motion ofsurgical instruments affixed to robotic arms positioned at the surgicalsite. The master controller may be in a location that may be remote fromthe patient (e.g., across the operating room, in a different room or acompletely different building from the patient). The master controllerusually includes one or more hand input devices, which are coupled tothe robotic arms holding the surgical instruments, and the mastercontroller controls servo motors associated with the robotic arms forarticulating the instruments at the surgical site. During the operation,the hand devices provide mechanical articulation and control of avariety of surgical instruments, coupled to the robotic arms, that eachperform various surgical functions for the surgeon. The exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure may refer to manually operatedmedical instruments or remotely operated medical instruments. Themedical instruments may be a robotic arm or connected to a robotic arm.The medical instruments may be incorporated within the robotic aim ormay be attached to the robotic arm. One skilled in the art maycontemplate a plurality of different robotic systems and/orconfigurations, not limited to robotic arms for achieving the data/powertransfer capabilities described herein.

With reference to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a power transfer system, inaccordance with the present disclosure is presented. The system 10includes a power transmit unit 20 in operable communication with amedical instrument 30 (or intrabody instrument). The medical instrument30 may be a robotic arm. The power transmit unit 20 may be energized viaan energy source 22. The robotic arm 30 may include a power receive unit32, an energy storage unit 34, and an instrument control electronicsunit 36. The power transmit unit 20 may communicate, preferably in awireless manner, with the power receive unit 32 of the robotic arm 30via a communication link 12.

The power transmit unit 20 may be used for transmitting power and thepower receive unit 32 may be used for receiving power from the powertransmit unit 20. The power transmit unit 20 may be positioned outside ahuman body and the power receive unit 32 may be located on an intrabodyinstrument (e.g., robotic arm 30) and may be adapted to be movable fromthe outside of the human body to inside the human body. The powertransmit unit 20 may be connected to an energy source 22. The intrabodyinstrument 30 may include at least an energy storage unit 34 and aninstrument control electronic unit 36. The energy storage unit 34 may bea battery. The instrument control electronics unit 36 may include logiccontrols and intrabody instrument drivers.

Additionally, it is contemplated that a plurality of robotic arms may beused, each one having power receiving means, energy storage means,and/or control logic means. The one or more robotic instruments may bepositioned entirely within the body cavity of a human being or patient.However, it is contemplated that the one or more robotic instruments maybe partially inserted through a cavity of patient. It is alsocontemplated that the one or more robotic aims communicate with eachother by sharing information. Also, controllers included in theinstrument control electronics unit 36 may be purchased off-the-shelf,constructed de novo, or off-the-shelf controllers may be customized tocontrol the robotic components of the present disclosure. One skilled inthe art would be able to select a controller appropriate for the roboticinstrument or intrabody instrument or the micro-robot.

In operation, the power transmit unit 20 preferably transmits power tothe power receive unit 32 wirelessly. The power transmit unit 20 maywirelessly transfer power to the power receive unit 32 in a continuous,non-interrupted manner. The power may be wirelessly transferred by usinginductive coupling power transfer methodologies, where the inductivecoupling power transfer methodologies permit the power transmit unit 20and the power receive unit 32 to share the same inductor-capacitorresonance frequency. Alternatively, the power may be wirelesslytransferred by using radio frequency (RF) power transfer methodologies,where the RF power transfer methodologies permit the power transmit unit20 and the power receive unit 32 to operate at a common frequency.

When selecting a power supply, an external power supply may be employedwith a tethered configuration. However, exemplary embodiments embracethat the power be supplied by batteries. Versions of the roboticinstrument or intrabody instrument of the present disclosure may usealkaline, lithium, nickel-cadmium, or any other type of battery known inthe art. Alternatively, magnetic induction may be another possiblesource of power, as is piezoelectric induced energy. In addition, one ofskill in the art may adapt other power sources such as nuclear, fluiddynamic, solar or the like to power the robotic instrument or intrabodyinstrument of the present disclosure.

Wireless power transmission or wireless energy transfer is generally theprocess that takes place in system 10 where electrical energy may betransmitted from a power source to an electrical load, withoutinterconnecting wires. The system 10 also includes control logic thatmay be capable of transferring power that may be received by thewireless power-receiving device 32 to the wireless power-transmittingdevice 20. The control logic may be incorporated within the instrumentcontrol electronics unit 36. Accordingly, the power transfer system 10disclosed herein may simultaneously receive and transmit powerwirelessly.

For example, transmit circuitry (not shown) may produce an alternatingvoltage, having a predetermined frequency, from a direct current voltagesupplied to the transmit circuitry during operation of the system 10 andsupply the produced alternating voltage to a transmit coil. Also by wayof example, the transmit circuitry may produce a predetermined level ofintensity of an inductive field in a transmit coil. The control logicincorporated within the instrument control electronics unit 36 maycomprise hardware alone (i.e., circuitry) or may include both hardwareand software. The control logic incorporated within the instrumentcontrol electronics unit 36 may be implemented by one of ordinary skillin the electronic arts. This technology may include, for example,application specific integrated circuits, a microprocessor executingcode that may be designed to implement the functions and methodsdescribed herein, programmable logic arrays, etc. The control logicincorporated within the instrument control electronics unit 36 may becapable of transferring power received by the wireless power-receivingdevice 32 to the wireless power-transmitting device 20. The controllogic incorporated within the instrument control electronics unit 36 maytransfer the power directly from the wireless power-receiving device 32to the wireless power-transmitting device 20. For example, the controllogic may supply the transmit circuitry with direct current voltageprovided to the control logic from the receive circuitry.

In exemplary embodiments, a selectable power-transmitting protocol mayinclude, for example, a particular frequency at which the transmitcircuitry produces an alternating voltage that the transmit circuitrysupplies to the transmit coil. Thus, selecting a firstpower-transmitting protocol may cause the transmit circuitry to producean alternating voltage at a particular frequency and selecting a secondpower-transmitting protocol may cause the transmit circuitry to produceand alternating voltage at a different frequency. Analogously, aparticular power-transmitting protocol may include, for example, aparticular level of intensity of an inductive field for the transmittingcoil. Thus, selecting a first power-transmitting protocol may cause thetransmit circuitry to produce a particular level of intensity of theinductive field, whereas selecting a second power-transmitting protocolmay cause the transmit circuitry to produce a different level ofintensity for the inductive field.

Additionally, the system 10 may have a settings mechanism, providing auser of the system 10 with a means for selecting parameters for theoperation of the system 10. The settings mechanism may comprise, forexample, a plurality of selectable buttons with each selectable buttonhaving a power-transmitting protocol associated with it. Thus, thecontrol logic incorporated within the instrument control electronicsunit 36 may be capable of detecting when one of the selectable buttonsmay be selected. The control logic may also be capable of operating thewireless power-transmitting device 20 in accordance with thepower-transmitting protocol associated with the selected buttons. Inthis manner, a user of the system 10 may choose a particularpower-transmitting protocol that is best suited for a particularsurgical procedure to be performed. For example, some surgicalprocedures may require more power to be consumed by the roboticinstrument or intrabody instrument than other surgical procedures. As aresult, a user of the system 10 may be able to control the amount ofpower transferred from the power transmit unit 20 to the power receiveunit 32 by selecting a desired protocol.

Moreover, the power transmit unit 20 may be configured to transmit eachof a plurality of different power levels via a respective one of aplurality of different frequency signals. For example, the powertransmit unit 20 may transmit a low-power wireless transmission on aparticular frequency to initially power up basic components of thesystem 10 for initial communications. The particular frequency at whichthe power transmit unit 20 transmits the low-level minimum power may bea fixed, pre-selected frequency signal that any of the roboticinstruments may access. Additionally or alternatively, the transmittingunit may transmit power wirelessly using an automatic channel selectiontechnique or an automatic channel switching technique that enables thereceiving unit to automatically select a best channel (e.g., a frequencyassociated with the least amount of interference) prior to and duringtransmission. In other words, the user of the system 10 may enter a coderelating a specific type of surgery and the system 10 may automaticallydetermine the required power to be transmitted from the power transmitunit 20 to the power receive unit 32.

Furthermore, the stored information may also be used to implement apower conservation routine in which the robotic instruments are powereddown or placed in a low-power mode when full operation of the roboticinstruments may not be required. For example, the robotic instrumentsmay enter into a low-power mode when only partial operation of therobotic instruments may be required. Alternately, if the energy source22 connected to the power transmit unit 20 is disconnected, then thepower receive unit 32 may be automatically energized via the energystorage unit 34 located within the intrabody instrument or robotic arm30.

Moreover, in the illustrated examples described above, the layout of aprocess control system may not be limited by the locations of wiredpower sources or wired networks. Instead, field devices and otherelements of a process control system may be located anywhere and usewireless power transmissions to receive power and wireless datacommunications to exchange data with other process control systemdevices or apparatus. Wireless power and data also enables reconfiguringthe layout of process control systems relatively easier and quickerbecause relatively fewer cables or wires need to be moved or installedto relocate field devices.

In exemplary embodiments, the system 10 may also have a displaymechanism (not shown) for providing a user with an indication of theoperating status of the system 10. The display mechanism may include,for example, a power indicator (e.g., an LED) that indicates to a userthat the system 10 is receiving power (see FIG. 2). The power indicatormay light up, for example, when the wireless power-receiving device 32of the system 10 is receiving power. Additionally, the power indicatormay comprise a signal-strength meter, allowing the user to determinewhether the signal transmitting the power is strong. The displaymechanism may also include a battery-level indicator for the energystorage unit 34. The battery-level indicator may light up when therechargeable battery (or energy storage unit 34) is fully charged. Inother embodiments, a battery-level indicator may show approximately howmuch power is in the rechargeable battery (or energy storage unit 34).As a result, the user of the system 10 may be continuously informed ornotified of the status of the power transferred from the power transferunit 20 to the power receive unit 32.

With reference to FIG. 2, a block diagram of an information transfersystem, in accordance with the present disclosure is presented. Thesystem 40 includes a transmit unit 50 and an intrabody instrument orrobotic arm 60. The transmit unit 50 may be in operable communicationwith an energy source 52 and a storage unit 54. The robotic arm 60 mayinclude a receive unit 62, an energy storage unit 64, an instrumentcontrol electronics unit 66, a storage unit 68, and an LED indicatingunit 70. The transmit unit 50 may communicate with the receive unit 62of the robotic arm 60 via a communications link 42.

Of course, several different types of connection components orcommunications links may be used to connect the transmit unit 50 to thereceive unit 62. As used herein, “connection component” may be intendedto refer to a wired or wireless connection between at least twocomponents of systems 10, 40 that provide for the transmission and/orexchange of information and/or power between components. A connectioncomponent may operably couple consoles/displays (not shown) and roboticinstruments to allow for communication between, for example, powercomponents of robotic instruments and a visual display on, for example,a console.

According to one embodiment, connection components may be wiredconnections, such as a wire, cord, or other physical flexible coupling.The wired connections may be coupled at one end to robotic instrumentand at a second end to, for example, a console/display. For purposes ofthis application, the physical or wired connection may also be referredto as “tethered” or “a tether.” The wired connection may be any physicalcomponent that may be flexible, pliable, or otherwise capable of beingeasily formed or manipulated into different shapes or configurations.

The wireless connection may be referred to herein as “untethered.” An“untethered device,” “wireless device,” or “wireless connection” may beintended for purposes of this application to mean any robotic instrumentthat may be fully enclosed within the patient's body such that noportion of robotic instrument may be external to the patient's body forat least a portion of the surgical procedure or, alternatively, anyrobotic instrument that operates within the patient's body, evenpartially, while not being physically connected to any external objectfor at least a portion of the surgical procedure.

The storage units 54, 68 may include any desired type of volatile and/ornon-volatile memory such as, for example, static random access memory(SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory, read-onlymemory (ROM), etc. The storage units 54, 68 may include any desired typeof mass storage device including hard disk drives, optical drives, tapestorage devices, etc. The storage units 54, 68 may store informationrelated to a plurality of different components within the transmit unit50 and the robotic arm 60. The information stored in the storage units54, 68 is further described below.

The LED indicating units 70 may inform or notify or indicate to the userof systems 10, 40 whether power is transferred between the transmit unit50 and the receive unit 62.

With reference to FIG. 3, a flowchart 80 illustrating power transferbetween a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, in accordance with thepresent disclosure is presented.

In step 82, information (data/power) may be transmitted to the one ormore medical instruments via a transmitting unit. In step 84, theinformation may be received by the one or more medical instruments viathe one or more receiving units. In step 86, the information may beprocessed at the one or more medical instruments via the instrumentscontrol electronics unit, while the one or more medical instruments aremoved into and out of a human body. In step 88, the updated informationmay be transmitted to the transmitting unit. In step 90, the updatedinformation may be stored in a storage unit in operable communicationwith the transmitting unit. In step 92, one or more parameters of theone or more medical instruments may be adjusted in accordance with theupdated information received from the one or more receiving units. Theprocess then ends for the first cycle or first iteration. However, theprocess may be a continuous iterative process. In other words, the stepsof the process may repeat for a number cycles or iterations, whereparameters of the medical instruments are constantly adjusted.

In an alternative embodiment, an operating room table would containelectrical and mechanical interfaces for several surgical roboticmanipulators or arms or instruments. The robotic instruments may beremotely controlled by using a plurality of consoles or external sources(e.g., surgical workstations, personal computers, etc.) preferablylocated away from the operating room table, such as but not limited towithin a hospital as connected to a hospital local network and/or aremote network, such as the Internet. The control consoles may operatein conjunction with the one or more robotic instruments that may bepositioned in a body cavity of a human being or patient. That is, thecontrol consoles may be used to operate the one or more roboticinstruments inside the body cavity of the patient. As used herein,“console” may be intended to refer to a controller or operational hub. Aplurality of visual displays may be connected to the plurality ofconsoles for providing visual feedback of the body cavity as captured bythe one or more robotic instruments.

In one embodiment, the visual display may be a standard video monitor.In an alternative embodiment, the visual display may display twodimensional visual feedback, three dimensional visual feedback orstereoscopic imaging to a surgeon via an imaging component on the one ormore robotic instruments. Those of ordinary skill in the art willrecognize that a signal from a camera may be processed to produce adisplay signal for many different types of display devices, including,but not limited to: televisions configured to display an NTSC (nationaltelevision system committee) signal, televisions configured to display aPAL (phase alternating line) signal, cathode ray tube based computermonitors, LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors, and plasma displays.

The robotic instruments may be connected to base stations (not shown)that are connected to the operating room tables. The base stations mayinclude a data signal connector for receiving/transmitting data to andfrom the robotic instruments (e.g., camera signals, position sensorsignals, power signals, etc.), a control signal connector fortransmitting control signals (and receiving feedback signals) toactuated components of the robotic instruments (e.g., motors, cameraoperation, etc.), and a power supply connector for supplying therequisite electrical and/or mechanical (e.g., pneumatic, hydraulic)power to actuated components of the robotic instruments. It isrecognized that data, control signal, and power requirements for roboticinstruments may vary depending upon the specific designed surgical taskof the robotic instruments (e.g., high voltage vs. low voltage, numberof actuators, tool operational requirements, etc.). Further, it isrecognized that the physical dimensions, strength, weight, and stiffnessof the base stations, and the connection therebetween are designed toprovide a stable base for operation of the attached robotic instruments.Of course, the robotic instruments may not be connected to base stationsconnected to an operating table. The robotic instruments may be manuallyoperated by, for example, a surgeon.

In an alternative embodiment, the robotic instruments may be incommunication with a communication manager of the consoles viacommunication capabilities of the base stations. The base stations maybe linked through a wire based connection to a wired communication linkof the console. It is recognized that the connection and the link may bein an existing operating room communication infrastructure network, suchthat the base stations may be attached to an electrical/mechanicalconnection harness. It is recognized that the connection and link may befully compatible with IP fiber optic network protocols for connection tothe remote consoles for control of the robotic instruments via the basestations. Each of the base stations and/or robotic instruments may haveassigned IP addresses to facilitate communication with the console viathe communication manager. For example, IP addresses may be assigned toarm controllers in the controller unit. The network may also includeswitches and routers as is known in the art to enable communication withother telecommunication devices connected to the room network. Examplesof the network protocols may be such as but not limited to Ethernet/IPand TCP/IP. However, as will be readily appreciated by those havingordinary skill in the art, any other suitable communication medium andprotocol could be used.

In yet another alternative embodiment, a computer may have software foroperating the robotic instruments. The computer may include a networkconnection interface, such as a wireless transceiver or a wired networkinterface card or a modem, coupled via connection to a deviceinfrastructure. The connection interface may be connectable duringoperation of the console to the network. The network may support thetransmission of data/signaling in network messages between consoles andthe robotic system. The consoles may also have a user interface(including hand controllers), coupled to the device infrastructure byconnection, to interact with a user (e.g., surgeon). The user interfacemay include one or more user input devices such as but not limited to akeyboard, a keypad, a track wheel, a stylus, a mouse, a microphone andthe user output device such as a display screen and/or a speaker. If thescreen is touch sensitive, then the display may also be used as the userinput device as controlled by the device infrastructure. The userinterface may be employed by the user of the console to coordinatemessages or instructions over the network for operation of the roboticinstruments.

Operation of the console may be enabled by the device infrastructure.The device infrastructure may include a computer processor and a memorymodule/unit. The computer processor may manipulate the operation of thenetwork interface and the user interface by executing relatedinstructions, which are provided by an operating system and thesoftware. Further, it is recognized that the device infrastructure mayinclude a computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor forproviding instructions to the processor and/or to load/update thesoftware in the memory module. The computer readable medium may includehardware and/or software such as, by way of example only, magneticdisks, magnetic tape, optically readable medium such as CD/DVD ROMS, andmemory cards. In each case, the computer readable medium may take theform of a small disk, floppy diskette, cassette, hard disk drive, solidstate memory card, or RAM provided in the memory module. It should benoted that the above listed example computer readable mediums may beused either alone or in combination.

In yet another alternative embodiment, a number of information managersmay be used to control and manipulate the information. A communicationmanager may provide for communication of data signals to/from the datamanager and communication of control signals to/from the controlmanager. A database manager may provide for such as but not limited toaccess of image data to/from an image database, data related to thefunctioning/set-up of various elements of the robotic instruments, andvarious position/orientation sensor data, and for providing data asneeded to the position and orientation manager. A control manager mayprovide for monitoring the operation of the robotic instruments. Aposition/orientation manager may be responsible for such as but notlimited to receiving sensor data from the data manager for calculatingthe position and orientation of the robotic instruments. A calculatedposition/orientation information manager may be made available to suchas but not limited to the actuation of the display manager and thecontrol manager. A configuration manager may provide for such as but notlimited to dynamic configuration of the robotic instruments for aparticular surgical procedure. The dynamic configuration may beautomatic, semi-automatic, and/or manual operator intervention. Adisplay manager of the software may coordinate/render the calculatedposition/orientation information and the patient/tool images on adisplay of a console of the user interface, as directed by the operator,for example, a surgeon.

In one implementation, by positioning robotic instrument within a bodycavity relative to console, the power transfer system 10 may allow thesurgeon to determine and maintain spatial orientation of roboticinstrument with respect to the one or more consoles. Other benefits ofsystem 10 may include, but are not limited to: providing a training toolfor surgeons, reducing or eliminating the need for a surgeon to beon-site, and reducing the cost of robotic surgical systems.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, two or more robotic instruments maybe operably coupled to each other as well as to an external unit (e.g.,a console, or personal computer or network, etc.). According to oneembodiment in which there are two robotic instruments, the two roboticinstruments may be operably coupled to each other and an external unitby a flexible wired connection or a wireless connection. That is, thetwo robotic instruments may be operably coupled to each other by aflexible wired connection that may be coupled to each robotic instrumentand each robotic instrument may also be operably coupled to an externalunit by a flexible wired connection.

In summary, the present disclosure facilitates the application oflaparoscopy and other minimally invasive surgical techniques to a muchwider range of procedures by providing semi-autonomous and autonomousmanually or remotely controlled robotic instruments that are used insidethe body, especially human bodies. The present disclosure providesrobotic in vivo wired and wireless manipulator, imaging, power, andsensor devices that may be inserted in the area to be treated, forexample, the abdomen. The devices overcome the limitations associatedwith current generation laparoscopic cameras and tools, providing thesurgical team a view of the surgical field from multiple angles, in vivopatient monitoring capability, and in vivo manipulator dexterity, aswell as power control capabilities. It is contemplated that the instantin vivo robot could help the surgeon directly manipulate tissue. It isalso contemplated to continuously and non-interruptedly provide powercapabilities to the robotic devices. In other words, it is contemplatedto continuously and wirelessly transfer power from the outside of thepatient to any robotic intrabody instrument. Thus, unlike known systemsthat require field device power (e.g., alternating current (AC) power ordirect current (DC) power) to be provided via electrical wires or cablesand/or via a battery, the example systems and methods described hereinmay be used to implement field devices (e.g., a temperature sensor, apressure sensor, a status (open/closed) sensor, an actuator, a powersensor, etc.) in a process control system that operate using wirelesslytransmitted power and that communicate wirelessly within the processcontrol system. From the foregoing and with reference to the variousfigure drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certainmodifications may also be made to the present disclosure withoutdeparting from the scope of the same. While several embodiments of thedisclosure have been shown in the drawings, it is not intended that thedisclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure beas broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification beread likewise. Therefore, the above description should not be construedas limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments.Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within thescope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A system for transferring power, the systemcomprising: a first intrabody instrument positionable within a humanbody, the first intrabody instrument including a power receiving unitfor receiving power from a power transmitting unit; and a secondintrabody instrument positionable within the human body, wherein thefirst intrabody instrument is operably coupled in a wireless manner tothe second intrabody instrument such that the first and second intrabodyinstruments electrically communicate with each other.
 22. The systemaccording to claim 21, further comprising: a control manager formonitoring communications between the first and second intrabodyinstruments; and a plurality of information managers in operativecommunication with a communication manager, the communication managertransmitting control signals to the control manager based on thecommunications between the first and second intrabody instruments. 23.The system according to claim 22, further comprising one or moreconsoles each associated with the control manager for remotelycontrolling the first intrabody instrument.
 24. The system according toclaim 22, wherein the plurality of information managers continuouslyprocess spatial position and orientation information of the firstintrabody instrument to actuate the control manager.
 25. The systemaccording to claim 22, wherein operations of the first and secondintrabody instruments are monitored by the control monitor while atleast a portion of the first intrabody instrument is positioned withinthe human body.
 26. The system according to claim 21, wherein the firstintrabody instrument is a medical instrument used in surgicalprocedures.
 27. The system according to claim 21, wherein the firstintrabody instrument is a robotic arm.
 28. A system for wirelessly,continuously, and non-interruptedly transferring information, the systemcomprising: a first robotic arm configured for positioning a firstintrabody instrument in a human body during surgical procedures; asecond robotic arm configured for positioning a second intrabodyinstrument within a human body during surgical procedures; and areceiving unit including an energy storage unit, the receiving unitconfigured to receive information from a transmitting unit positionedoutside the human body, the receiving unit operatively associated withthe first robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm is operably coupled in awireless manner to the second robotic arm such that the first and secondrobotic arms electrically communicate with each other.
 29. The systemaccording to claim 28, further comprising: a control manager formonitoring communications between the first and second robotic arms; anda plurality of information managers in operative communication with acommunication manager, the communication manager transmitting controlsignals to the control manager based on the communications between thefirst and second robotic arms.
 30. The system according to claim 29,further comprising one or more consoles each associated with the controlmanager for remotely controlling the first robotic arm.
 31. The systemaccording to claim 29, wherein the plurality of information managerscontinuously process spatial position and orientation information of thefirst robotic arm to actuate the control manager.
 32. The systemaccording to claim 29, wherein the operations of the first robotic armare monitored by the control manager while at least a portion of thefirst robotic arm is positioned within the human body.